Family Ties
by Nmbr27
Summary: Wolverine has a new scent to track: a teenaged girl who knows something about his past. Why did she call him father? And what is Sabertooth doing there? AU mostly influenced by the Ultimate X-men though ignoring one of their most important changes!
1. The Smell of Shadows

Family Ties

Chapter 1: The Smell of Shadows

--

Wolverine has a new scent to track: a teenaged girl who knows something about his past. Why did she call him father? And what is Sabertooth doing there? AU mostly influenced by the Ultimate X-men.

--

He breathed in deeply, trying to catch the scent, the scent of fresh snow and cold nights that had lured him to this wasteland. Over the years he had tracked hundreds of scents, first under the control of Weapon X, and then for the X-men, but this…this was different. He had hunted people down who needed killing, searched for others who needed saving, but never had he followed a scent so far and so long simply for his own sake.

There. He caught another wisp of it. He equated the scent to that of a shadow. That was the only place he ever caught it anyway, little trails that hopped from shade to shade. During the night, it was near impossible to track, especially under a new moon, but during the day the scent traveled between shadows like a connect-the-dots puzzle. His quarry knew that, apparently, and sprinted all night long to put distance between them.

As he headed for the marker he smelt, he thought back to when this all started.

It was a week ago now, back at the mansion. He was outside, putting Rogue and Kitty through a drill. They were doing well, working together. That's when he first caught the scent. Only for an instant, but definitely a scent.

He turned towards it, and Rogue grabbed the flag tucked into his belt.

"Ha," she called. "Ah got it."

"All right," Kitty chorused.

Logan hushed them, straining to hear. The scent faded. Hm, he thought. It might have been nothing. But there it was again, closer this time. Mildly he noted Rogue and Kitty's increased anxiety, but he needed to keep his attention on the tree line. Yes, it was coming closer, but he had no idea what it was.

"What's wrong, Logan?" Rogue called.

He saw a dark spot leap between two shadows and caught the smell again. Then it stopped. He walked forward. The thing had definitely jumped to the shadow of a big oak tree, but he couldn't see it, even when he stood right at the shadow's edge. His lip rose in a snarl. A claw burst through his skin and he swiped it across the space.

A girl shrieked. She formed from the darkness and tumbled out into the bright snow covered yard. She wore a torn and dirty jacket much too large for her and a pair of ripped jeans to match. She tucked and rolled, coming up a few yards away.

"I got her," Kitty called, racing forward, and leapt into a jump sidekick. To Logan's amazement, she didn't hit the girl but passed straight through.

"Girly, stop playing around," he called. The intruder was already sprinting in the other direction. He couldn't let her get away.

Kitty made a small whimper. "I didn't do it on purpose," she moaned. She put a hand to her head. "Ow."

Knowing Rogue would care for their fallen teammate, Logan raced after the girl. She headed for the shade of the trees again. He wouldn't overtake her. Suddenly a red beam shot past him and struck his target at the back of her legs. She dropped immediately. Logan reached her in a second, claws ready, but she threw up her hands in terror.

"Dad, don't," she shrieked.

He stopped dead in his tracks. Had he heard her correctly?

The girl glanced to where the rest of the X-men were approaching. She got back up and started running. Then she shrieked as Jean's telekinesis took her in its grip.

"Don't," Logan called, grabbing Jean's arm.

Her concentration broke, and the girl dropped to the ground, inches from the shadow of a tree. She reached for it, touched its edge, and her whole form darkened. It streamed into the shade, and she was gone.

"What did you do that for?" Jean demanded. "I had her."

"What happened?" Scott asked, coming up at their side. "What was that girl doing here?"

"I don't know," Logan said. He turned back to watch the spot where the unknown girl had disappeared.

"He let her get away," Jean snapped.

"Why?" Rogue called, supporting a very dazed Kitty. "You could have taken her."

"I'll find her," he snapped. When the others leaned back from the harshness in his words, he sighed. "I'll find her."

And that was that. It wasn't much to go on. One line ringing in his ears for the past seven days: "Dad, don't." That's all he had. Then again, it was a lot more than he'd ever had before. This girl, whoever she was, thought he was her father. If he was or not was still a question, but she had come looking for something, and it wasn't a fight.

He tracked her away from the mansion, out into the wilderness. She headed north for the most part. After a while he realized she traveled by teleporting between shadows. In the day, she hid from him, staying in thickets where she gave off barely a scent, but at night it seemed she could simply flow through the full on shade of darkness.

That was how it was right then, all darkness. He turned his attention to points of light, places where the branches above spread wider to let moonlight in. At night he could only catch her where she slipped up, where she passed under a spot like that, reforming for an instant and letting off a scent.

The spot he smelt was fresh. He was getting closer, much closer than he had been in days. As he tried to decide which direction she went now, he heard a snap. It was quiet, far away, but he heard it. Then a voice.

"What are you doing here?" It was the girl. She was eighty yards due north. As soon as he heard her voice, his nose filled with her scent. She reformed upwind from him. Careless.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" The new voice was rough, deep, with a snarl at its base. He knew that voice, and the furious odor that came with it made him bare his teeth in a snarl.

Sabertooth.

He stalked closer.

"You went to see him, didn't you?" Sabertooth said.

"No, I just…I was just seeing. I didn't mean to reveal myself."

"Didn't mean to?" Sabertooth snarled. "Mara, did he see you?" There was a long silence. "Mara?"

"Yes."

"He's probably tracking you right now," he shrieked. "Do you have any idea what you've done? I told you, he doesn't remember anything. There's a reason they call him the Wolverine now, Mara. He won't listen to reason. You invaded his new home, his _new_ family. He's not going to believe anything you say."

"He has to," she called back. Her voice cracked, and Logan could smell her tears. "He just has to." She hiccupped.

"No, Mara, he won't. Not with what they've done."

He could hear her sniffle.

That was quite enough in his opinion. Seconds before he broke through the underbrush, Sabertooth finally caught his scent.

"Mara, get back," he snarled and turned to meet Logan's claws with his own.

"No," the girl shrieked.

Neither man listened to her. They tumbled across the ground until Logan caught a good chunk of Sabertooth's left arm. The man broke away, snarling, his arm hanging loosely at his side.

"Dad, please stop," the girl shrieked. It was that same terrified voice. He couldn't help it. He stopped.

It wasn't until Sabertooth came out of his fighting stance that Logan finally regained his anger. Sabertooth backing down?

"What are you trying to pull?" Logan snarled at him. "The girl's cute. Did you kidnap her? What's he threatening you with, kid?"

"Please, he's not threatening me," she begged. The look in her eye seemed kind of familiar, but he kept his mind on the matter at hand. "Please, just listen, Dad."

Logan glared at his old adversary. "Why's she calling me that?" he snapped.

"Why do you think?" Sabertooth shot back. He glanced back at the teen. "Mara, get out of here. I told you, he's dangerous now."

"I don't believe you," she shouted. "He has to remember. He just has to."

"This is getting old, fast," Logan snarled. "Girly, you're coming with me. The X-men don't take kindly to people spying on the mansion."

"Just listen for a second, will you?" Sabertooth shot back. He sighed. That was the first time Logan could remember him seeming upset, that is, actually upset, not insanely mad or something. The shear humanizing affect of it made Logan back down.

When he stepped out of his fighting stance, the girl's eyes lit.

"See?" she called. "I knew it."

"Hush, Mara," Sabertooth whispered. He didn't move, not to run, not to attack. He just stood there. "Look, Logan, I've been remembering things, things before Weapon X. Things they tried to make us forget." He hesitated as if dreading the next line. Finally it came. "I'm your son." He motioned to the short thing next to him. "And Mara's your daughter."

"You're lying," Logan snapped.

"No, no, for the first time, I'm telling you the truth," he whispered. He turned to Mara, extending a hand. "Give it to me."

Quickly she gripped her hands together over her shirt and turned away from him. "It's mine," she said. "She gave it to me."

"I know, but he needs to see." His voice was surprisingly gentle.

Regretfully, she unclasped her hands and pulled the chain from around her neck. On it was a gold ring. She took it off the necklace and handed it to him. He in turn tossed the thing at Logan.

"Here," he said as Logan caught it. "See for yourself."

Making sure Sabertooth wasn't going to attack; Logan turned his attention to the shining piece in his hand. The moonlight made it sparkle, gold wrapped in a delicate loop, a small diamond set in its clasp.

"Cute," he muttered. It was all he could get out. He still didn't believe them, but there was something about the ring…

"Read the inside," Sabertooth told him.

Slowly Logan turned the ring over. On the inside of the band, in a familiar curling style, was a small engraving. "To Aria, my love and my life." He'd seen it before. There was a picture of it in a file from Weapon X, one of the only things they hadn't destroyed.

"Do you believe me now?" Sabertooth asked quietly.

Logan looked up at him, really looking for the first time in he didn't know how long. True, the man still carried that look in his eyes, that beaten dog look, the one that said he was liable to snap, but there was something else. Something was there that hadn't been for as long as Logan could remember: hope.

"And Aria?" Logan whispered. His voice cracked.

The two before him looked down.

"She's dead," Sabertooth whispered. "She was killed almost a year ago. I found Mara hiding from Weapon X. Took me weeks to convince her they weren't coming back."

"Weapon X?" Logan echoed.

"They tried to take our whole family," Sabertooth explained. "After you escaped the first time, they came for me and Mara, knowing we'd be able to withstand the bonding process. Mara's mostly got Mom's powers, but she's a healer, too. When they came, I stalled them long enough for Mara to escape, but after I left Weapon X, well…" He looked away.

"Ma fought hard," Mara whispered. A thick tear hit her cheek.

Neither of them continued. Logan watched them for a long time, but they didn't flinch. The look of pain and regret in their eyes was almost too much to bear.

"So what now?" he whispered. He didn't exactly believe them, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"We're still running," Sabertooth said. "There are still bases out there, and I don't want to risk Mara's life betting they don't need more test subjects."

"Come back to the mansion."

What did he just say? Did that honestly just come out of his mouth?

Honestly, it just did, and he knew he meant it.

Sabertooth was silent for a long time, shocked mute by Logan's proposal. "You…you're actually offering?" he whispered.

Logan swallowed deeply. "Yeah. What's the Professor always saying? The Institute is for all mutants, for them to be safe."

"Really?" Mara called. "You believe us?" Her excitement made him wince.

"I'm not saying that," he snapped. The speed at which her happiness drained from her ripped his heart out. "But I am willing to consider it," he whispered.

This brought the smile back to her face. "I knew it," she shouted. She rushed forward. Before he knew what was happening, she had her arms wrapped around him. "I knew you'd remember me," she said, her voice coming muffled from his shirt.

Something in that hug, something in the full on scent of her this close made him wonder. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her. It felt good, felt right. He glanced up at Sabertooth.

"This is going to be very hard to explain," he muttered.


	2. Old Memories

Family Ties

Chapter 2: Old Memories

--

Wolverine has a new scent to track: a teenaged girl who knows something about his past. Why did she call him father? And what is Sabertooth doing there? AU mostly influenced by the Ultimate X-men.

--

The wind caught up again. It twirled and blew across his face. He shivered. That made him scowl. Sabertooth shivering? Well, he had been here for a while, a couple months maybe. Honestly, he'd lost track, and that was the whole point. His stomach growled, agreeing with his windswept face that he'd been in the tundra too long, long enough that his healing ability couldn't cancel out the hunger anymore. He had to find some food before his body shut down and he froze again. _That_ hadn't been fun. The last time he came here, he froze, went comatose for a few years, and woke up in a laboratory. The scientists had mistaken him for some ancient "link" or something.

Another gust brought him back to the present, and he looked around. He wasn't too far from a cave system. He could smell the warmth, or relative warmth, warm enough to support some minimal amount of life anyway. It took some time to reach the nearest cave enterance; his muscles were seizing up. The second he got out of the cold, he sighed in relief. Now to get some food.

He ate the little thing raw, no flint left for a fire, and tossed the bones when his nose flared with an all too familiar scent. He snarled, whipping around to come face to face with the one person he despised the most, the only other person who could survive in these temperatures without serious repercussions.

"Runt," he hissed. "What? The world not big enough for you?"

Wolverine just shook his head and moved farther into the cave. "I've been looking for you, Victor," he said.

"Don't call me that," he hissed back.

"Well, I can't really call you Sabertooth at the wedding," Wolverine replied just as calmly as before.

Sabertooth gave a gruff laugh. "You proposing now, runt?" he asked. "I never pegged you as the incest type."

Wolverine only shook his head. "I mean I'm getting married," he explained, "to a shadowmorph named Aria."

"Why should that concern me?" Sabertooth growled. He hadn't thought of the man as his father in decades, but for some reason it stung like hell that he was remarrying. It wasn't his mother's fault she wasn't a healer.

For a long time, Wolverine only stared at the cave wall. Sabertooth considered cuffing him one, just to see if he was still awake, but he turned back.

"Julian's been gone a long time," he whispered. "Believe me or not, but I've mourned for her as much as you have. That was twenty years ago. It's time to move on. Aria makes me feel like I belong again, and I was hoping…well…we were hoping, you could feel that way too." He finished softly, as if waiting for Sabertooth to yell at him.

He really wanted to. He wanted to swear, and shout, and tell the runt what a dirtbag he was, and all the other things he always said, but something stopped him. "What do you mean?" he asked instead.

"Aria and I want you to come live with us," Wolverine said. "We want you to be part of our family."

"What?" As hard as he tried not to, Sabertooth took a step back, eyes wide. After a moment of staring he realized his mouth was hanging open. Firmly he clamped it shut.

"I'm not saying it'd be easy," Wolverine told him. "I'm just saying you deserve a family."

Sabertooth stayed silent for a long time. He listened to the wind howling past the cave entrance, the snow dripping from Wolverine's thick coat, his own breath, then both of their heartbeats. When he was a kid, back before everything, they used to play Tracker. He memorized that heartbeat, could tell the man's mood by it perfectly because it was exactly the same as his own. Right now, the guy was patient, expectant, and a little scared. Slowly he relaxed his stance.

"All right," he muttered, "but just to see."

The scene froze. At the back of the cave, three figures studied the two motionless ones.

"Intriguing," Xavier said. "so Aria was not your birth mother?"

The Sabertooth standing next to him shook his head. "My real Ma died years back," he said.

"Can you show us a memory of her?" Xavier asked.

He shook his head again. "I've got parts of my memory back," he said, "but not everything. The farthest one-" he stopped, glancing at the third member of their party, "was getting in a fight with you over Ma's grave six years after her death. Nothing's clear farther."

"Why do you think these memories are returning?" Xavier asked.

He shrugged. "Don't know. They just started. It's why I left the Brotherhood."

Xavier nodded and motioned to the scene around them. "Well, I believe that is enough for one day," he said. The memory faded until they stood on nothing. Then he gently brought them back to their bodies. When Sabertooth opened his eyes, Logan was watching him.

"What?"

"Was that really how it happened?" Logan asked. "You're not sugar coating anything?"

He shook his head. "Surprised me, too."

It was a long moment before Logan smiled. "Ya hungry?" he asked. "Psychic merges make me starving." Sabertooth nodded, rising and stretching out his soar muscles. They headed for the mansion's kitchen.

Since inviting him and Mara to come to Xavier's Institute, Logan hadn't called him son. Not once. He didn't call him Victor either. After the first couple days on the road, after Mara recounted basically every little thing they'd ever done together, he started using something of a pet name: "Sabe." And he didn't use that often. Sabertooth didn't have the heart to tell him he'd done the same thing last time.

As they passed the elevator, he took a slight sniff and noticed Wolverine do the same. Mara was still in the basement levels. He smirked, wondering how much trouble she could get into in the Danger Room.

They made it all the way to the kitchen without speaking. They may be family, but they still had a lot of "issues" to work out. Sabertooth couldn't really remember, but he thought all of it started when his mother died. Like he told Xavier, he couldn't remember that far back, so he didn't really know, but all of their earliest fights had been about her in some way. After that things just got plain messy until they forgot exactly why they hated each other's guts.

Logan tossed him an apple. Those seemed to always be at hand around here. What was it with good guys and apples anyway? He took a deep bite and leaned against the counter. His father leaned against the table half way across the room. His father. He chuckled. He had been using that word more and more lately, despite the fact that they looked the same age and, relative to their lifespans, basically were.

"What?" Logan asked.

"Ah, nothing," Sabertooth told him. "Just thinking's all."

The man paused, looking like he was doing some heavy thinking himself. Sabertooth let him. Finally his father looked up.

"Are you all right here?" he asked. "I mean, Mara's just coming in like any other student, but you." He stopped and looked away. "You've been against the X-men in a lot of battles."

"You saying I shouldn't be here?" Sabertooth asked. He kept it from showing, but he was really worried at the prospect of getting kicked away again, just when he was beginning to let his guard down a little.

"That's not what I meant," Logan said so fast it dissolved any doubt. He sighed and continued slower. "Actually it's more like you're coming in like I did the second time, where they already know you and all."

"Second time?" Sabertooth asked.

Logan nodded. "Cyclopse and I got into it pretty bad. The others stopped us, chastised _me_ because he was the one needing stitches, and I left. The second Scott was able to walk again he came and invited me back. But, just because he'd forgiven me, that didn't mean the others trusted me one bit. The whole place smelt like fear for months. I guess what I'm trying to say is I know what it feels like, and it feels like shit." He finished in a decisive tone, one Sabertooth hadn't heard since before Weapon X, and it made him smirk.

"I'm used to it," he said. "Heck, that's how the whole Brotherhood smelt the whole time I was with them."

Logan chuckled. "I guess that makes sense," he returned. "You ever feel like popping a guy just to give them something to worry about instead of worrying for nothing?"

"Actually I did," Sabertooth said, leaning back. "Never underestimate Toad. He's made of some pretty tough stuff."

This made his father laugh again. He liked that, liked the memories it brought back, reminded him that there _were_ good times locked away in all those old memories.

"Got anything more holding than an apple?" he asked, tossing the rind into the garbage.


	3. Everything Has a Shadow

Editor's note: A few reviews have noted confusion as to what world this fanfiction is in. It was originally influenced by Ultimate X-men, but you'll see in this chapter that there are some serious changes. Sorry to anyone who feels the change to Peter in the Ultimate universe was amazing and shouldn't be messed with. I feel the same way, but, as I said, this isn't in any particular world, so please don't be mad. If you think I should change the category, please review, but because of the changes I don't really think I could put it under Ultimate without making anyone confused more than they already are.

--

Family Ties

Chapter 3: Everything Has a Shadow

She had to admit it. This was the most fun she'd had in years. Lasers pounded off everything. The floor shifted, moved below her feet. She jumped, making an easy flip over a spiked area of flooring, and landed, legs spread, one hand holding a silver ball.

"I got it," she called. Immediately she regretted saying so. The machines here had ears. It was more than a little creepy, and with the goal of the game being get the ball away from the computer, well, it just wasn't wise to let the opposition know where to aim their pretty guns.

She tumbled to the side then back again. The next strike forced her up and running.

"Mara, here," someone on her left called. She turned. It was the spunky little one, Shadowcat. Making sure she had a good shot, Mara tossed the silver ball. It landed squarely in the girl's hands.

"Nightcrawler, get her out of here," Mara called. Why do these kids hesitate? she thought angrily. He could have come in the second she had the ball.

A deep blue cloud enveloped the girl. Instantly she disappeared. Mara didn't need her brother's enhanced senses to grimace at that horrible sulfur stench. The blue kid appeared again, dropping Shadowcat off at the safety zone. She in turn dropped the ball into its slot and the game turned off. The other teens cheered.

"That was amazing," Shadowcat cried. Or was it Kitty? Mara shrugged. She guessed she could call her Kitty now that the game was over.

"I can't believe how fast we did that," Kurt, the blue kid, added excitedly. Both of them trotted forward, their forth teammate coming from the side.

Rogue rubbed her head. "Sorry Ah got knocked out," she said in her southern drawl. "Ah guess Ah should be more careful."

"It came up behind you," Mara offered. "You'll get it next time."

The watchtower's lift descended. "Great job," the man on it said. "A new record for you." Mara turned to look at the guy in the red tinted glasses. Cyclops, or Scott out of his uniform, was a tall man. He wasn't as tall as Vic, but he wasn't short either. He had a commanding voice, and a commanding look. Mara could admire him for that, but he didn't really seem to like her father or her brother much, and she wasn't exactly sure how he felt about her either.

"That was so cool," Kitty cried, jumping up and down. "Mara, you were awesome."

Scott turned towards the new member to his home, raising an eyebrow over his visor. "You looked like you were enjoying that," he said.

She smiled at him. "It was a good game." The others stared at her, and she wondered what was wrong. Kitty got her voice back first.

"That wasn't a game," she said. "That was a Danger Room session."

"A level five Danger Room session," Scott added. "One your teammates have been working at for a month. You just got here yesterday."

Mara shrugged. "It seemed like fun to me. Actually," she amended, "it was a little slower than the last time I played with Vic." With a little annoyance, she noted they all bristled at her brother's name.

"What exactly did you play?" Scott asked.

She shrugged again. "Tracker, Defender, Run-away, stuff like that. We used to play all the time."

The others, her teammates, all glanced at each other. Then they looked at Scott. He seemed to be working something over very slowly in his head. Finally he spoke.

"Would you like to demonstrate?" he asked.

Immediately she perked up. "Really?" she asked. She liked this room. She wanted to see what it really had. Vic told her to play nice, to not show off too much, but they were asking. Surely it wasn't showing off if they were asking.

Scott nodded, motioning the others to the lift.

"I'll set it to six," he said. "Same game, same rules. One on one with the computer. Think you can handle it?"

She smiled wildly. "That sounds like fun," she replied.

Still eyeing her, the others rose back to the watchtower. When the lift sealed closed again, the machines around her reset. The silver ball that was her prize lifted and set itself on a high pedestal at the center of the room. She took her fighting stance.

"Begin!"

The room roared to life. The lasers fired at six second intervals instead of eight. That caught her off guard at first, and she dove headlong out of the way. A quick switch of hands on the floor, and she vaulted over a suddenly open trap door. There were three new sections of floor that could move. One turned into a conveyer belt, making landing there tricky. The other two were spiked. Adjusting for them, she continued to evade the lasers, looking out for any other surprises.

Another trap. The floor caved in below her feet. Pushing sideways, she leapt and caught the arm of one gun, now hanging over the pit surrounding the playing field. The gun bucked, trying to get a shot at her. Gripping one handed, she swung back over the floor and let go. Tumbling to her feet, she raced for the pedestal.

She had the automated sequence memorized now. Two shots from the left, one from the right, three behind, and one ahead to restart the pattern. The floor boards too. She mapped them out like a checkerboard. B3 down, A6 spin, D12 spike, B3 up… It went on and on like a dance. C8 went down, spikes safely hidden. She had three and a half seconds.

Planting her foot on the newly open space, she leapt, caught the pedestal's top lip, and swung up. The smooth cold sphere slipped into her hand. Both feet touched the pedestal surface, and then she was in the air again. Rolling out of the way of the lasers, she came up six feet from the safety zone. Now it was just a matter of choosing the right steps.

F9, G8, H10, H9, I11, J10, I10, J9, K10.

The ball slid neatly into its hole. The game shut off, Mara ducking under the last laser shot before the room became completely still. The lift descended, this time bringing the other member of the upper class as well as hers. It couldn't actually hold them all, so those who could came down by their own power. Kurt teleported in right next to her.

"That was totally awesome," he cried, his little demon eyes lit with excitement. The others came up to offer their congratulations as well. She looked them over carefully.

There wasn't really any difference between her class and the one above them. True, Kurt was only fifteen, and Kitty sixteen, but Rogue was seventeen, the same age as Storm. Both of them went almost solely by their codenames, and both were at their physical best. The only difference was that Storm had been at the Institute longer. Mara was in their boat, seventeen going on eighteen, and barely more than a year younger than Jean and the Russian. Peter. Now there was an interesting one. She'd never really been into dating, most of her teenaged life had been on the run, but she found him kind of cute.

When Peter reached her, he gave her a slap on the back. "I didn't know anyone but Wolverine could finish that fast," he said. "Guess it makes sense, you being his daughter and all."

She smiled at this. The big Russian liked her father a lot. She could tell they were good friends.

"You didn't use any of your powers," Scott said. "That's half the point of these exercised." He looked slightly pissed in her opinion. For the world she didn't know why. Instead of asking she shrugged.

"It wouldn't be any fun then," she said.

Old Sunglasses raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, fun?" he asked.

"Hold out your hand," she said in reply.

The man kept his eyebrow cocked, but raised his hand. Mara raised hers slightly higher, letting its shadow fall on his palm. She glanced over at the silver ball. Her vision darkened for an instant, allowing her to see the connections between her and it. A simple call and…

Scott uttered a gasp as first the shadow of the ball and then the ball itself fell into his hand.

"You can teleport objects remotely?" Storm asked.

Mara nodded. "Everything has a shadow," she said. "I connect to them. But I try not to use organic ones too much."

"Why?" Jean asked.

"What Ma said was my ability takes the energy it needs from the object whose shadow I'm using to port," she explained. "For a rock or a building, it just loses some heat, but organic material actually uses its life force. The worst is people; I really hurt a kid once when I accidentally used his shadow to get to the top of the jungle gym." She looked down. That was not a good memory. Tim never forgave her, and it was one of the many times her family had to move.

"Rogue put a shockingly gentle hand on her shoulder. "Ah know what it's like," she said. "Ah put a boy in a coma when Ah first got my powers."

Peter gave her a reassuring smile. "We all know what it is like to lose control," he offered, "though you seem very much in control of your abilities now."

She perked up, grateful for the reminder.

Even Scott lightened up. "I think that's enough training for one session," he said. "Tomorrow we'll see what you can really do."

The others broke into playful conversation as they headed out of the Danger Room together, commenting on the session and drifting to other topics Mara didn't understand. She was about to ask Kitty what Scrubs was when Peter came up on her side.

"You're pretty amazing," he told her.

She furiously hid her blush, probably making it worse by the shadow suddenly cast over her cheeks.

"Don't let Scott get you down," he continued softly. "He's just a little stiff."

"He seems like a good leader," she offered.

Peter nodded. "He is, but he doesn't really have a high tolerance for rule breakers like your Dad and me."

She smirked at the description. Dad did like to break the rules a lot. It seemed like now he did it a lot more than he used to, and that was just plain funny.


	4. The Good With the Bad

Family Ties

Chapter 4: The Good With the Bad

Logan stared out the window at the falling snow. Well, his eyes were _looking_ out the window, but he didn't really see anything. He was lost in a dozen old memories, only half of which he really remembered.

Through Sabe's eyes, he saw his own wedding, Mara's birth, and a couple of birthdays including one when they actually got 100 candles on a cake for him. He remembered telling them there weren't enough candles, which there weren't. He was older than that. By how much he couldn't remember, and neither could his son.

His son. It still made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. His old enemy, his competition at Weapon X, his personnel addition to the villains against the X-men, was his son. The guy was remembering things, things they used to do together, how they used to act before everything happened. And now Logan was too. Why now, he didn't know, but they both let it come.

Behind him, the library door creaked open and his nose filled with that scent. He closed his eyes, listening to Jean's soft footsteps. The door closed softly before she walked across the room. She was being cautious. He could smell her uncertainty, and it made him want to…to what? Shout? Tell her to leave? Turn around and kiss her? He gripped the ring in his hand. He honestly didn't know, and that's what scared him.

"Logan?" That sweet melody of a voice. It was just like Aria's.

"What is it, kid?" He wasn't trying to be harsh. He was just saying it like it was. Compared to him, she was a kid. He had to remind them both.

She paused, her scent turning to worry. Then she took another step. "How are you holding up?"

He closed his eyes. "You really want to know?" he asked. If she did, he knew he'd actually tell her. Despite how he tried to keep his reputation, she sounded too much like Aria to lie to her.

"I really want to know," she whispered.

A dot of cold touched his cheek, and he realized he was crying. Furious, he wiped the tear away.

"I feel like hell," he muttered, "but I'm gladder than I've been in a long time, too."

She gave a small laugh and settled into a chair behind him. He appreciated that. It meant if he didn't want to look at her, all he had to do was stay put. If he wanted to talk…

He turned around. "I remember Aria," he said. "I remember her scent. Flowers, always flowers, and a sweet mix of herbs. It wasn't a perfume, just the smell of the field around our first house. She used to pick flowers every day." Safe in the memory, he looked up into Jean's eyes. Quickly he looked down again, watching the ring he turned between his fingers.

"She had your eyes," he muttered, "and your voice."

They stayed silent for a long time. He could feel her eyes on him and kept his safely trained on his wedding band.

"Logan," she began, moving to touch his shoulder.

He jerked out of the way, holding up a hand.

"Don't," he said, gritting his teeth. He took a slow breath as she lowered her hand. "If you touch me, I don't know what I'll do," he explained. "God, Jeanie, you sound just like her, look just like her. I can't stand this."

She bit her lip, and he knew she was hurting. A memory flared. Aria crying. His arms wanted to grab her, comfort her while she comforted him, but he couldn't. He didn't even know if he ever really loved her, or only who she reminded him of.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she whispered and got up. She left, passing Sabe quickly as he looked into the room. When she was gone, he spoke.

"That one's confusing," he said, coming in. "Didn't she threaten to throw you in a volcano if you ever thought about her again?"

"She's a telepath," Logan said. "She can't stand seeing people hurtin'."

Sabe didn't speak.

When the silence went on too long, Logan grimaced. "Don't give me that," he said. He waved him in. "Get over here."

Still silent, his son sat next to him.

"I'm glad you're here, all right?" he asked sternly. "It sucks you know more than me, and all the emerging memories are giving me a headache, but I'm taking the good with the bad. I need this. You need this. Mara-"

"Mara is having the time of her life."

Logan smirked as his daughter walked into the room. She looked positively hilarious in Storm's hand-me-downs, but it was the only thing they had for her at the moment. The other girls promised to bring her shopping soon, but they just arrived the day before and things were still crazy just settling in.

Bouncing slightly, Mara dropped to the arm of Sabe's chair and then into his lap. He laughed at his sister's antics, and that made Logan smile.

"I heard you single-handedly broke the beta team's record time," Logan said.

Mara beamed at him. "It was fun," she said. "There were all these lasers and trap doors and spikes and bottomless pits." She stopped and cocked her head when she caught his smirk. "What?"

"Nothin'," he said, holding in a laugh. He ruffled her short black hair then resettled on his couch.

The three of them were quiet for a long time, Sabe holding his sister, Logan watching them both. The room wasn't well lit, the only light coming from the hall and through the window off the snow. The shadows made Mara look completely at peace and a lot more mature. Logan remembered her birthday, and realized she was almost eighteen. His daughter was almost a grown woman, and he's missed it.

Sabe must have caught onto his thought.

"Hey, you all right?" he asked. Mara turned to study Logan's face.

He smirked at them. "Can't fool you, huh?" he asked. They only waited. He grimaced. "I've just missed a lot," he explained. "You've grown up, and I missed it."

Mara got up and sat next to him, wrapping her arms around him. Sabe just looked at him.

"I've missed a lot, too," he whispered.

"Why can't I just show you?" Mara asked. "Vic's been giving you his memories. Why can't I show you both mine?"

"Because you're not as old as I am," Sabe told her. "Too many memory transfers would tax your system." Then he smirked. "Plus, I think Xavier's just using the sessions as an excuse to get in my head," he added. "I think he's trying to decide if I'm going to throw someone out a window or something."

Logan laughed. The funny part was, what Sabe said was probably true. Letting another killer in with his precious students had to make the guy anzy. Oh well, he thought. They're here now, and they're staying.

Mara crossed her arms. "He shouldn't be," she said. "I'd smack you if you did, and you know it. That should be enough of a guarantee that you won't."

Really, it should. With her powers Mara could make even a healer as strong as Sabe pass out for weeks with a single, shadow-powered slap.

"He just doesn't know you well enough yet," Sabe said. "You don't use your powers much, and it's easy for people to underestimate what they can't see."

"You said I wasn't supposed to show off," she reminded him.

"Honey, this place is made for you to use your powers," Logan told her. "Property damage is in the annual budget, and we're isolated enough that anyone Xavier hasn't invited won't see what you're doing."

Her face lit with a devious smile, her eyes flickering with shadows. He smirked, wondering what he had just unleashed. Vaguely he remembered the first time they went camping after her powers came and he had given her free reign. She was in shadow form almost the whole time, barely appearing to eat, and thoroughly beat both his and Sabe's butts at Runaway.

He gave her arm a squeeze. "You're just the same," he teased her.

"Hey," Sabe said, "do you realize what type of weather this is?" His eyes were on the window, gleaming as mischievously as Mara's had just a moment before.

Mara caught his excitement. "Fresh snowfall," she said. "It's-"

"The best time to play Tracker," Logan finished, glad he remembered.

Supporting mirroring smiles, they all rose and headed for the door.


	5. What a Cute Shadow

Family Ties

Chapter 5: What a Cute Shadow

Peter glanced out his window. The scene that greeted him was a strange one. Half hidden by the falling snow, Mara crept across the backyard. She moved slowly, every once in a while sending a flick of shadow into the snow around her. She ducked, and Peter could see Sabertooth approaching from the other side of the lawn. Making sure her brother couldn't see her, she crept on, hidden by a snow bank.

Her brother. Peter frowned slightly. He had to admit, having Sabertooth at the school was a little weird. The last time they'd fought, the guy nearly took Scott's head off. But he had a reason to be here, a right to be here, and no amount of worrying was going to change that.

Outside, Sabertooth raised his nose and sniffed. He'd caught some scent. The two of them seemed to be competing for something. Peter couldn't figure out what, but it made him smirk anyway.

After a couple more paces, Sabertooth sniffed again. He began to rush forward. Mara was faster. She jumped at a mound of snow. To Peter's amazement, it exploded as Logan broke out into the fresh air, Mara's arms already around him. She dropped her weight, pushing him back to the ground. She sat on his stomach, smiling like she just won the rodeo.

When Sabertooth reached them, he seemed slightly upset, but the look passed and he clapped Mara on the shoulder. Logan bumped her off, and she fell backwards into the snow. Peter laughed, watching her fight her way out of a deep hole. She looked positively ridiculous, and yet…

Peter grimaced. Logan was his best friend. Of everyone at the mansion, Logan was the one who seemed to understand him the most. They'd bonded, told each other what they kept the others from seeing. With all that, could he actually act on what he was feeling now? Mara was, in his opinion, the most beautiful girl in the world. Her short, boy-cut black hair, her bright green eyes, her stubborn lips. They all worked perfectly together, but she was Logan's daughter.

The three out in the snow began some new game, one Peter couldn't follow. He simply watched Mara sprint across the yard, blurring forward as she used her abilities to run faster. The way she moved was like a dance. Each step seemed planned, timed, coordinated to succeed in a goal so far ahead he couldn't even register it. She didn't react to things. Instead, she waited for the world to catch up with her already completed plan. That made him wonder. Did she already know how he felt?

If she did, she didn't act on it. They'd met just the day before, and he felt like she already knew everything about him. He doubted Logan told her, and didn't the Professor say she wasn't psychic? Peter shook his head. He was probably just paranoid because he liked her. Well, attracted to her. He really needed to get some one on one time to find out how much of it was just her looks and how much was her.

The game below ended with Sabertooth carrying Mara over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, ignoring the fact that she pounded his back with her fists. Logan laughed, hunched over with a hand to his stomach from the fit that consumed him. Apparently for once things didn't go as Mara expected. Sabertooth set her down, and she promptly crossed her arms in a pout. She looked cute when she did that.

Logan and Sabertooth exchanged a few words before heading inside. Mara waved them off, opting to stay out instead. When her father and brother were gone, she turned to look up at the night. After a moment, she spread her arms and dropped backwards into the snow. It kicked up around her, settling lazily back down as she began to make a snow angel.

After hesitating for just a moment, Peter headed outside. He put on his coat, scarf, hat, and mittens. Unlike Mara, he got cold as hell in this weather. She seemed to revel in it. It was probably something to do with her powers. When he reached the back door, Logan and Sabertooth were nowhere to be seen. That suited him fine, and he walked out into the snow.

When he reached Mara's snow angel, she tilted her head up to look at him. He smirked, wondering what he looked like upside-down.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

She was cute with her damp hair draped over one eye like that.

"Wanna make a snow angel?" she asked him.

He laughed softly. "I haven't made one since I was a kid," he said.

"Then it's high time you did," she returned promptly.

He laughed again and moved to her side. The snow kicked up from his fall was considerably larger than the one she made, and half of it fell over her angel.

"Sorry," he said, grateful she couldn't see him blush.

"It's okay," she replied and began to work through the new obstruction. "You're called Colossus, right?"

"Yeah," he said. It was kind of odd, talking to her without looking at her. Then again, everything she did was slightly odd, and he liked to watch the snow fall from the darkness overhead anyway.

"So which do you prefer?" she asked.

"What?"

"Peter or Colossus. Which do you prefer?"

"Peter's fine. Call me Colossus in the field, but that is only my codename." He paused for a while, listening to the shifting snow. "How about you?"

"What?"

"Have you thought up a codename yet?" he asked.

"Not really."

"If you don't hurry, Scott will pick one for you, or worse, Kitty will, and those stick."

She stopped moving, and he glanced over to see that her eyes were unfocused.

"How about Darklight?" she asked.

"Darklight?'

He heard the snow shift as she sat up.

"Why do you say it like that?" she asked.

He pushed himself onto his elbows. "Nothing," he replied. "I just thought: your powers deal with shadows. Why choose a name with light?"

"Because I see in shadow," she said. "I see darkness better than you see light."

"Oh." He paused, absorbing the concept before asking his next question. "So how's your sight in the daytime?"

"The light hurts my eyes a bit, but mostly I'm fine," she said.

By this time, both of them had forgotten their snow angels. They were sitting up, facing each other as the snow settled in little mounds on their shoulders and heads. It was so quiet, so peaceful. Mara looked beautiful with snow crystals on her eyelashes, like sparkling diamonds. Suddenly that reminded him of how cold it actually was. He'd forgotten in that perfect moment.

"Come on," he said, rising, "we should go in. It's pretty cold out here."

"You're the metal man," she said.

"Only when I choose to be," he returned, offering a hand to pull her up. She grasped it, and he gave an expert tug meant to bring her quickly and effortlessly to her feet, but the real result was a complete blunder.

He hadn't expected her to be so light. She was like a feather, and he used enough strength to pull Scott out of the deep snow in a second. With that much force, she flew to her feet and slammed into him, knocking both of them back into the snow. After a stunned moment, Mara started laughing. That got Peter going, and soon the two of them were caught in a fit of laughter. That is, until they realized the position they were in, Mara completely on top of him and rather stuck because of the fall. That realization silenced both instantly. It felt like eternity before his muscles would respond to him. With a weak laugh he pushed her up to her knees then helped her to her feet.

"Come on," he whispered and led the way to the mansion. They walked the whole way in silence. When they reached the back door and were greeted by warm air, Mara finally smiled again. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried inside. He watched her go until her form darkened and leapt to a pillar's shadow. Peter smiled. What a cute shadow, he thought.

Suddenly he got the distinct impression that someone was behind him.

"You eyein' my sister, Tinman?" came a growl of a voice.

Peter turned nervously. He'd never tested the theory, but he hoped Sabertooth's claws weren't sharp enough to pierce his steel.

"I do not mean anything disrespectful," Peter told him. "I enjoy her company."

"You break her heart, I break your neck," Sabertooth said. He began to walk away, but then suddenly stopped, his back to the other mutant. "Look, Wolv…Dad trusts you, says you two are friends. It takes a lot to get that type of trust from him. If you really earned the title, you're a good guy. Mara could do worse."

Peter smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he returned. "Ever." Without another word, he stalked away.


	6. New Allies

Family Ties

Chapter 6: New Allies

--

A change in perspective. When Mara and her brother are settled in, what does the X-men's great field leader think? (Thanks for the reviews. Don't worry, only three chapters left to upload. They just need to be typed.)

--

Scott watched in silence from the control tower, lips in a scowl, eyes narrowed. He wasn't mad, per say, just…tense. Below, a shadow zipped back and forth across the Danger Room, over traps, through lasers. Mara was untouchable. That's what worried him. He knew Logan now, knew he was dedicated to the school. He knew Sabertooth's strengths and weaknesses even if he didn't know the man himself. Mara, on the other hand, was a complete mystery.

As it stood, she was on a level ten solo session. She hadn't used any of her powers until she reached the eighth level, and even now she seemed to hold back. She was brilliant, calculated, and she could think on her feet. If the whole X-men team went against her, could they even make it a draw?

He ran through the possibilities. Kitty was useless. So was Peter. Kurt might be able to keep up with her, but not hurt her. Rogue's affect was yet to be determined, but he was guessing it wouldn't be much. Storm, maybe. Jean, well, assuming Mara didn't just use her shadow to port, Jean might be able to do some harm. Personally, his optical blasts would have the same affect as the lasers.

That thought brought him back to the scene below. Mara's current mission was survival: get rid of the sentinels without dying. This was her ninth day at the mansion, her third level ten session, and assuredly her best run. Currently she was five sentinels away from finishing. Four, three. The last two ganged up on her, fired, and hit each other. The session ended in a blaze of fireworks as the extended shadows receded and Mara finally appeared; calm, composed, and a full minute under the course record.

Everyone else was ecstatic, of course. In a way, so was Scott. He was glad they had her as a teammate, glad she had so much control over her powers and her potential. He just couldn't ignore where she came from, who she came from.

They descended to the main floor where the digital carnage slowly disappeared. The underclassmen swarmed Mara, asking her about certain moves, congratulating her, and all around acting like underclassmen. His own team approached more calmly, Peter patting her on the back, Storm adding a playful jab about her finale. Watching all of this, Scott didn't notice the red head that came up next to him.

_Lighten up._

He bristled and glanced over while Jean's voice continued to ring in his mind.

_She's got a good heart._

_How much can you sense?_

_Not much, but I know she's a good kid._

It didn't exactly calm his nerves completely, but it would do for now. He walked forward and offered a hand. Mara took it with a smile.

"Looks like you're battle ready," he said. "Better be careful. We might just put you in the field."

Everyone else laughed, but Mara looked very confused. She began to say something when Peter spoke in her stead.

"He's kidding," he said. "He means if you keep up this pace you'll be allowed in the field."

The confusion passed, and Mara smiled. "I'd like that," she said. "I'd like that a lot."

Scott knew she really meant it. He smiled as well. "Let's break for lunch," he said. "It can't all be battle training. We all have homework to do."

Everyone moaned, but they listened as always and trotted to the door. As Scott followed, he noticed Mara and Peter. They walked slightly separate from the group, talking quietly. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

_Be happy for them._

He glanced at Jean, annoyed that she had to be so including.

_I'm just cautious._

_You're paranoid. Falling for an X-man is the quickest way we gain allegiance. Think of Logan._

_That is exactly what worries me._

Her soft laughter floated through his mind even as she left, trotting to catch up with Storm. The two of them had a research paper to do together. Scott had just as much work as the rest and figured he'd better take his own advice.

The others were already down the hall by the time he got to the main levels. Smirking at their continued upbeat air from the Danger Room session, Scott headed in the other direction. He needed to ask Xavier a few things before he started working.

Just as he began to open the door to Xavier's study, something behind it hit the floor hard. The thud was followed by a shout, and Scott threw the door open, hand poised over his visor.

"It's all right, Scott," Xavier said.

On the floor, Sabertooth crouched next to Logan's prone figure.

"Just an overload," the Professor continued. "Logan will be fine in a minute."

Slowly, Scott lowered his hand. The way Sabertooth checked Logan's pulse, his breathing. It was like a son worrying over his father. That's exactly what it is, he told himself. Xavier undoubtedly caught the thought and nodded solemnly.

"We were pushing too fast," he said. "Logan's unlocking memories are taxing his body. We simply need to slow the pace."

"Maybe you should stop for a while," Scott returned. He didn't like thinking of Logan as vulnerable. He was the only one who really understood his kids and why they were there.

"We can't stop," Logan muttered as Sabertooth helped him to his feet. "The farther we go, the more I actually remember instead of just see."

"But still-"

"Slim, calm down. I know my limits."

"No offense, Logan, but your 'know your limits' seems to be pushing yourself past the point of exhaustion and seeing how much of the damage your healing ability can fix."

Logan gave him a smirk and settled back on the couch. "I never knew you cared so much," he teased.

Scott didn't answer. He simply turned and left, giving the Professor a mental message that they should speak later. Xavier's reply was to the affect that they could speak immediately, and Scot asked about his assignments. Satisfied with the answers, he headed to his room to start working. The only problem: his room was already occupied.

"Hey, you," Jean called from the bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked but closed the door anyway.

"It can't all be work, Mr. Summers," she said. "Come over here."

He smirked and sat down on the bed. Immediately her arms were around him. He loved Jean for this, for her spontaneity and her fire, but at the moment he couldn't stop thinking about what happened downstairs. Of course, the problem with dating a psychic was their natural powers were twice as acute when it came to their own relationships.

"Don't worry about Logan," she muttered, still clamped to his lips. "He can take care of himself."

Scott sighed and broke the contact. "I can't," he said. "It wasn't just Logan. Xavier looked tired too. They're pushing too hard."

"What's wrong with a little zeal?" she asked. "It's not like we're hard pressed for protection. We've got two full teams and…ah." Darn her. She caught his thought before he even thought it. "You think we've got enemies inside the house to worry about more than what's outside."

"Can you blame me?" he asked.

"I can't blame you, but I can tell you Sabertooth's not here to hurt anyone."

"And Mara?"

"Mara's just glad to be by her father."

"But you said you couldn't sense much in her mind."

At this, Jean sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Her mind's just strong. That's all."

"I just don't like it," he said.

"You need to stop worrying," she said, grabbing his shirt and yanking him towards her, "and spend some time goofing off with me."

He laughed and did what she said. Let others worry about new allies for a while. He was tired of it.


	7. Like a Shadow

Family Ties

Chapter 7: Like a Shadow

Mara was in heaven. Really. Clouds and everything. She never understood dating. It seemed so stupid. Then again, she never met a guy like Peter. A gentle giant, that's what he was. Power enough to juggle trains and a touch soft enough to carry ice crystals. He could talk too. They had so much in common. She barely noticed when they moved from diner to dessert to star gazing in the park. Not a second passed without one of their voices filling it. That is, until the moon disappeared. It was almost dawn, and they were still in the city.

"Dad's going to kill me," she said.

Peter laughed. "No, he is going to kill me," he said. "He will merely talk to you."

She smiled. He was right, of course. "I might be able to save your life," she joked, "but you'll have to lose an arm at the very least."

He laughed again, something just plain bliss to hear. He laid down on his back and put his hands behind his head.

"Oh well," he said. "Could it be the left one though? My right arm is my throwing arm."

"I can't promise anything," she said.

He seemed so peaceful. She set a hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat spike. It made her smile so she kissed him and his heart raced faster. She pulled away then and he got up. He'd gotten used to her weight, or lack there of. When he pulled her to her feet, she didn't even lose her balance.

"We should head back," he said. "The sun is coming up."

"We can still make it before dawn," Mara said and took his hand. She was really going to enjoy this.

"Dawn is barely a minute away," Peter argued, eyeing her as she took his other hand.

"We only need an instant," she whispered. Her eyes darkened, pitch black for so far a jump. The thing about shadow porting is for an instant the soul is exposed. It doesn't hurt anything, and it's hardly noticeable when done alone, but when two people port on the same thread…

She could practically hear his heart now. When they reformed in the backyard of the mansion, his heart pounded so fast she thought it would fly out of his chest. Honestly, so was hers.

"Oh," he muttered, more a slip from his lips than a word.

Mara couldn't speak. Her head swam with the feelings she'd absorbed from him. All she could do was hold on. Peter's grip told her he felt the same.

"Mara."

The two of them spun to face a fuming Logan.

"Dad," she whispered.

"You have class in an hour," he said. "You should probably get ready."

She gave a weak smile, squeezed Peter's hand, and hurried for the building. When she reached her father, she stopped. He didn't seem as mad as she expected.

"We didn't mean to stay out so late," she said. "It's not his fault."

"I know."

She frowned. "Dad-"

"Go inside."

She did as she was told, immediately porting to her room. From there she concentrated on the window's shadow and the sounds it caught from outside.

"Look, Logan," Peter began.

"Tinman, you said you'd be back by midnight," Logan said.

"I know, but-"

"You take something from her?"

"No. God no, Logan. I'm not...I'd never...How could you think that?"

The two remained silent for a long time. Mara pulled on a fresh shirt and went to the window. She could only see her father's back, so she had no idea if he was going to attack. Peter just stared at him, completely shocked and hurt. How could her father think they would do that on a first date?

After an eternity, her father shook his head. "Go get ready for class," he said, "and stay away from Sabe. If you look at him this week, he'll take your head off."

Mara sighed in relief. No, he wasn't going to kill her boyfriend. Boyfriend? Funny. She never called anyone her boyfriend before, but the name just stuck to him like…well…like a shadow. Mara washed her face with cold water and brushed her hair. Completely refreshed, she headed to class.

The fun thing about Xavier was he could split his attention to about four different topics at once. Scott, Jean, and Storm worked on advanced physics. Peter and Rogue shared a class in robotics. The rest of them; Kurt, Kitty, and Mara worked at calculus. Logan and Vic were free to do Danger Room sessions since Xavier needed full concentration to help them.

Mara liked school here. The professor could hold their attention, literally. He adjusted the lesson when they didn't understand something without them even asking. And the best part? They were all in the same room. Xavier sat before them. Each saw and heard him teaching their subject. Mostly, the whole thing fascinated Mara. Today she couldn't even pay attention. She kept glancing over at Peter. Her heart beat faster when she realized he was doing the same thing. She smiled when she thought of that first night in the snow, when she waited, making a snow angel, to see what Peter wanted.

Mercifully, Xavier didn't say anything about it. Whenever Mara looked at him, he merely smiled in a knowing way and continued teaching. At the end of the lecture, she discovered that her notepad was covered in words. She'd written down the whole lesson. Funny, she hadn't felt him influencing her. Then again, she had let him in for the lesson, not to mention that she was seriously distracted the whole time.

When they broke for lunch, Peter quietly strolled outside. Mara followed as quickly as she could after making her sandwich. She found him sitting under one of the giant trees scattered around the backyard of the mansion. Mara plopped down right next to him. He chuckled at her antics and lifted his arm to wrap it around her shoulder. She snuggled closer and took a bite of her sandwich.

"So have you seen Vic?" she asked.

Peter shook his head, obviously very relieved. "He was already in the Danger Room when I came to class," he said. "Do you think he is angry about our date?"

Mara smirked. "Of course," she said, "but it's hard to tell how much. He always likes to exercise in the morning, especially when Dad's with him."

"I am glad they are getting along," Peter said. "I like to see Logan happy."

Just then a football came flying at them. As quickly as she could, Mara pulled on the tree's shadow, and the ball ported to the other side of the tree, hitting its trunk instead of her head. Kurt appeared next to them in a cloud of blue smoke, grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry, meine Freunden," he said. "Kitty phased through the ball."

"It's not my fault you threw it so hard," the accused said as she and Rogue trotted up to the group.

"It's okay," Mara said, standing up. "No harm done."

"Good," Rogue said. "Do y'all want to play mutant ball?"

"Any time," Peter said, getting up as well.

"Mutant ball?" Mara asked.

"It's like a big game of catch with powers," Kitty said. "Storm's playing too."

"Someone talking about me?" Storm asked. She lowered gently to the ground, though the crosswinds made Mara sway slightly.

The group broke into two groups. The rules were simple: keep the ball away from the other team. There didn't seem to be any particular goal, but it sounded fun anyway. It started with a toss up. Rogue smacked the ball back to her side. Mara raced forward to reach Kitty, but the girl already dropped into the ground. That was fine. Mara tracked the shifting shadows beneath the grass and snatched the ball the second Kitty resurfaced. A quick twist, and the ball sailed right into Peter's hands.

"Kurt, go long," Mara called as Storm flew in to intercept. Obediently, the fury blue elf disappeared. He came out fifty feet into the air and sixty away from his teammate. Peter dodged Storm's attack and threw. Before Kurt dropped more than a foot, the ball was safely in his hand.

The game continued in the same fashion, pass after pass, inventive use of power to intercept. Xavier had to call them in twice to get them back inside. As they broke the game, Peter lifted Mara onto his shoulder and Kurt gave her a high five. They had kept the ball for a vast majority of the game, mostly thanks to Mara's leadership. The others called unanimously for her to become the new leader of the beta team.

Mara smiled as she rode to the door on her boyfriend's shoulder. This place was perfect. Absolutely perfect.


	8. All a Lie

Family Ties

Chapter 8: All a Lie

--

Seriously, R&R

--

Sabertooth smiled as he ripped through a sentinel's chest. Logan was at its head, adamantium claws slicing through the robot's neck like butter. They made an amazing team. They always had. Each leapt off as the sentinel fell. Sabertooth landed on his feet. Logan rolled before coming up on his knees. His son frowned. He could see it. Logan was at maybe fifty five percent. All the transferred memories took their toll, and it would just get worse, but neither of them could stop. Logan wanted his memory back, and Sabertooth wanted to give it to him.

An energy blast shot through the trees. Sabertooth called out, but it was too late. With his father's strength spent, he didn't have time to dodge the attack. A full on blast. Logan was down to fifty percent.

The second the thought crossed his mind, Sabertooth gasped as memories washed over him like a tsunami. The Brotherhood surrounded him, Mastermind before him. Sabertooth spoke. 'I hate to admit it,' he said, 'but Wolverine's faster than me. A lot faster. If I'm going to take him out quick enough without the other's noticing, he needs to be weak, say fifty percent.'

'Fine,' Mastermind had said. 'I'll set the imprinted memories to shut down when you know he's at fifty percent.'

And the memories did shut down. Siberia, Aria, Mara, their house, his birthday, the games, everything. It was all a lie, all just a lie to get him into the mansion, to set up the X-men for a full on ambush. Mara wasn't his sister; she wasn't Logan's daughter. She was a Weapon X assassin. Sabertooth hadn't been asked for a truce because he was Logan's son. He'd been asked because they used to be friends. Aria had no children. Logan was alone after all.

The floodgates opened, and Sabertooth's true personality came to the surface. Logan saw the look in his eyes, but he didn't have the strength to act. With one swing, Sabertooth knocked him out cold. He left the Danger Room without turning off the program. Hopefully the holograms would kill his dear old 'dad.' He pressed the chip behind his ear. The Brotherhood would be there in five minutes. Now to make sure the others were in position.

He turned off the alarms before leaving the basement, a code he'd been trusted with just a day before. He stretched one last time and entered the elevator. He got out on the first floor to see the other X-men heading in from lunch. Mara rode on Colossus' shoulder like a queen. A quick pain caught in Sabertooth's chest. This girl had nothing to do with his attack. She was a pawn, a girl with the right skill level, age, and look to pass as his sister. He shook the feeling as soon as it came. It was only the imprinted memories. The girl meant nothing.

She may have been nothing, but she knew his looks one way or the other. The second she saw him, she slid from Peter's shoulder and came over.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Dad's got another headache," he said. Mostly true. "I want to have the Professor look at him." Not true. Thankfully, Mara didn't catch that.

"I'll go too," she said.

"No, you'll only get in the way," Sabertooth said. "Go back outside. With Xavier helping Dad, your classes are postponed."

The little one, Shadowcat, grinned and grabbed Mara's arm.

"One more game," she said. "Xavier won't mind."

Mara only hesitated for a moment. She really had no choice now. It was the keyword. 'You'll only get in the way.' Now she had to go outside, setting everyone in place for the ambush.

The lower classmen were all in the yard. Storm and Colossus were there too, but they could be taken out first. The itch at the back of Sabertooth's head meant Xavier already fought with Mastermind, a real contest only from the strain Sabertooth placed on him for the past two weeks. By now, Quicksilver should have Marvel Girl and Cyclops out as well. One more bit of set up to do.

Sabertooth walked outside. The teenagers were organizing their next game, Mara at their center. Sabertooth went to her.

"Mara, it's all over," he said.

Instantly her eyes dilated. Her knees gave out and she dropped to the ground like a rag doll, her eyes staring at nothing. Storm and Rogue quickly knelt at her side.

"Mara?" Rogue called. The girl didn't answer, so she turned her glare on Sabertooth. "What did you do?"

"This," Sabertooth said and struck Storm in the back of her head so hard she tumbled forward three feet before dropping to the ground again. She'd be out long enough.

"Betrayer!"

That would be the Russian.

Before Colossus could even pull out his metal skin, a red tinted cord of energy grabbed him and lifted him into the air as The Scarlet Witch and the rest of the Brotherhood appeared. Now for the kids.

Sabertooth dodged Rogue's bare hand, took hold of her shirt, and threw her across the lawn. Mystique evaded Nightcrawler's attack. She would reach him in less than a minute. Toad continually leapt around the yard, his tongue passing through Shadowcat as she tried vainly to attack back. The beta team were kids, and they were completely out of their league.

Colossus broke The Scarlet Witch's hold, but Sabertooth planned for that. He attacked as soon as the Russian's feet touched the ground. The two of them really got into it too, until Sabertooth smelled someone who destroyed the entire plan. He turned in horror to catch only a glimpse of Wolverine before a metal fist sent him sprawling.

Wolverine clutched the doorframe, blood still running down the side of his face. His uniform was completely torn, and what strength he had left seemed to leak out through his fuming eyes. He really was stubborn.

Sabertooth hit the ground and rolled away from his attacker, but Quicksilver was already playing defense. He kept Colossus busy long enough for Sabertooth to get up. Immediately he raced for Wolverine. His old enemy had a different plan. Dodging Sabertooth, Wolverine made a beeline for The Scarlet Witch. She did exactly what he should have known she would. A wall of bright red energy slammed him backwards into the mansion's wall. Half of it fell down with him. Suddenly Sabertooth realized that was exactly what he was going for.

"Don't touch him, you idiots," Sabertooth shrieked. No matter who she really was, Mara believed Wolverine to be her father. No amount of mind control would stop her now.

"Dad?" Her voice came out as a small whimper. Her eyes focused and leapt to his body. "Dad!" She sat up. Her eyes caught the whole situation in one glance.

"Vic, what have you done?" she shrieked. The Scarlet Witch tried to pick her up, but Mara ported away to end up at Wolverine's side. She shook his shoulder. "Dad? Come on, Dad. Wake up." Her eyes snapped back to the intruders. "What have you done?"

"Quicksilver, shut her up," Mystique said.

"Don't," Sabertooth called, but it was too late. His teammate streaked forward in a blur. Four feet from his target, he crossed into the building's shadow. Then he really disappeared. He came out of the port crashing down through the branches of a huge oak tree nearby.

"Leave us alone," Mara called. She stood and planted her feet. "Stay away from my father." Her eyes turned jet black. That only meant one thing: power surge.

Each member of the Brotherhood vanished into the base of their own shadow. The ports were unstable and broke almost immediately. They fell to the ground in a heap, unconscious and would probably stay that way for months. Mara turned her eyes on her 'brother.'

"Why?" she cried.

Sabertooth shook his head. Colossus and Shadowcat were back on their feet. Nightcrawler would be soon. There was no way Sabertooth would get out of this one. Instead of trying, he answered.

"You're a pawn, Mara. That's all," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"You're not my sister. You're not his daughter. I picked you up on a Weapon X raid. We used you to get in the mansion, to take down the X-men once and for all." He knew it was coming. He could see it in her eyes. She straightened, became so calm. She just looked at him with this cold stare.

"You're lying," she said. "I hate you."

Sabertooth tensed. He felt the pull on his body as his shadow consumed him. The drain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. As the darkness closed in around him, he knew he'd wake up months later in a jail cell, and if he ever saw Mara gain, she'd kill him.


	9. What Now?

Family Ties

Chapter 9: What now?

"What now?"

Kitty's whisper barely moved the air around her lips. She knelt next to Storm's unmoving form, one hand on her teammate's arm. Close by, Kurt sat next to Rogue, steadying her. Both of them watched Peter, who stood motionless. He looked at Mara standing over Logan's form. She didn't look at anything.

"What now?"

Jean's hushed question made her teammates quiver. They stood, uncertain, in a circle around an empty wheelchair as Scott knelt on the floor to check their fallen professor's heartbeat. Logan leaned against a chair close by, still half covered in raked raw skin. The shadow behind him held a slightly darker form that everyone was careful not to look at. She kept her eyes on the floor.

"What now?"

Scott's calm question made Logan's hair bristle. They sat only one seat from each other in the library, Storm the unfortunate occupant of the seat between them. Kitty sat on the ground by Storm's feet. Kurt perched on the fireplace ledge. Rogue sat on a cushion on its other side. Jean sat next to the professor across from the rest with a grim look in her clear green eyes. At the back of the room, Peter leaned against he wall, his arms crossed.

"What do you mean, what now?" Logan asked. "Fury's coming to pick up the Brotherhood. We're all still alive. We go on living."

"I meant, what now about Mara," Scott said in as unthreatening a voice as possible. "She was part of the plot to bring us down."

"She's the only reason we're alive," Kitty said. "You didn't see her."

"She was a pawn," Storm said. "They used her and threw her away. She's a victim and our rescuer. She deserves our respect."

"She deserves more than that," Logan said. "She deserves a home. She deserves a family."

"She's not your family, Logan," Xavier said. "Mara allowed me to inspect her memories. They are all implanted. I'm not even sure if her true memories are still there below the surface."

"She's a good girl," Logan said.

"She was a Weapon X assassin," Scott said.

"So was I," Logan snapped back. "You offered me your trust then. Trust me now."

"It kind of scares me," Rogue whispered, running her fingers along a lock of hair.

"If you do not let her stay, I will leave," Peter said, making everyone tense. "I love her."

Nothing was said in reply.

The room fell into a deep silence. No one looked at anyone else. No one wanted to be the first to voice their opinion. Xavier watched them all with a weary curiosity. Slowly, one by one, they lifted their heads.

"I think she-" "She's the most-" "We owe-"

Scott, Kitty, and Kurt smirked sheepishly at each other as they all started at once. The room quieted, and Kitty began again.

"She's the most amazing girl I know," she said.

"We owe her the chance," Kurt said.

"I think she should stay," Scott finished.

The room fell silent until Rogue, Storm, and Jean all nodded. Logan smiled, and Xavier smiled in return. Jean turned her gaze on the door, and it opened. Mara came in. The toll on her form was astounding. Once bright eyes shone no longer. A stubborn smile became an uncertain frown. Her whole body quivered as she walked, one hand gripping the other arm.

"Mara," Xavier called as Jean shut the door again, "we want you to stay with us. You've more than proven that you are an X-man." When the teen before him looked away, he frowned. "You don't want to stay?"

Mara closed her eyes. "Staying here would be the most amazing thing that could ever happen to me, but I…" She closed her mouth. Painfully she continued. "I don't want to go back to the old me. If I stay, you're going to get rid of this me because it's fake. Well, it's real as far as I can tell. I don't even know if the old me would even want to stay, and I don't ever want to leave. I know Logan's not my dad, but I can deal with that. I can deal with the memories that aren't real. Just please let me keep them."

She ended so quietly, so painfully, that everyone in the room closed their eyes. Then they turned to their professor. Slowly he shook his head.

"I don't sit idly when a psychic has intruded on another's mind without their permission, destroying and creating what they choose. That being said, I would be a hypocrite if I tried to do the same to you. I don't know the old you, Mara, but the new you saved my home, and both are welcome here."

By inches Mara's gloom receded. The shadows that trailed her gave way to proper light. She straightened, and a small smile pulled at her lips.

"We all want you to stay," Scott said.

This brought Mara's smile out in full. She nodded, dumbfounded, and stood motionless as the sound of helicopters rose overhead.

"That would be Fury," Xavier said. He turned and headed for the door. When he reached Mara, he stopped. He reached out a hand to gently squeeze hers. "Get some rest. I'll handle this," he said. Then he left. His students filed out after him. Logan stopped before the teen, looking into her eyes. What he saw calmed him.

"I'm not letting Xavier take all of my memories away either," he said, "just the ones concerning Sabertooth. I don't care what any test would say. You are my daughter." With that he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head just like all those memories said he always did. He headed out after the others, leaving Mara and Peter alone together.

For a long time the only sound was the descending copters outside. Finally Peter spoke.

"I saw your power," he said. "I saw your rage."

She looked down.

"I think you are amazing."

She looked up, bewildered. He gently pulled her towards him with one arm and took her cheek in his other hand. His lips met hers and lingered for a long embrace. Finally he pulled back, just enough to wrap her in a tighter hug. Then he whispered, "Welcome home."


End file.
